I've had a few occasions in my career where my teams have gone on a bit of a run, like my first season with Cardiff when we just missed out in the play-offs, but the sequence of results Rovers were about to put together was probably even more remarkable.

We had seven league matches left, starting with a trip to Mansfield, and after winning that one 1-0 we beat Bury 2-0 at home two days later and then remained unbeaten in our next four games, drawing the first two and winning the other couple of matches.

By the time the last game of the season at Hartlepool rolled around we were in seventh place and knew we actually had a chance of getting into the play-offs if we stayed there or did better.

Stockport were a place behind us in the table, but had fallen away towards the end of the season and knew that they needed to win at Darlington, hoping that we were denied a victory at Hartlepool if they were to get into the play-off places. Just to add further interest to our match, Hartlepool knew they had to win if they wanted to leapfrog Walsall and be promoted as champions.

We found ourselves 1-0 down at half-time against Hartlepool and everyone knew that the great little run we'd managed to put together could come to nothing. We also knew that despite their recent poor form, Stockport were a goal up at Darlington.

I think there are moments that can be life changing, and for our players the second half against Hartlepool turned out to be just that. After 14 minutes of the second half Richard Walker gave us a lifeline when he scored from the penalty spot and then right at the death, in the most dramatic fashion, we snatched victory with a goal from Rickie Lambert, one of those very significant goals I mentioned earlier.

From looking nothing like promotion contenders for most of the season, we'd done it – and on the final day we'd got into sixth place ahead of Shrewsbury and Stockport, who missed out despite eventually beating Darlington 5-0.

Our directors were delighted. Not only had we made it into the play-offs, but sixth was the highest position the team had reached all season, and they only paid out bonuses if we were in the top six!

Coming off the sort of run we'd put together in the league, the team were absolutely flying when it came to the play-off semi-final against one of my old teams, Lincoln.

They had finished a place above us in the table but we were all very confident that we could get past them over the two legs.

We played them at home first and won 2-1, and our second-leg performance was even better. As soon as we saw their pitch, which was immaculate, we knew we were going to be able to play well on it, and that's just what happened. We slaughtered them and won the match 5-3 to reach the final which was going to be played at Wembley.

Our opponents and the team standing in our way were Shrewsbury, the same side we'd beaten on our way to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

As well as the victory in that competition, we'd also won and drawn the two league games we had played against them, and I don't think they really fancied meeting us again.

They went a goal up after just three minutes through Stuart Drummond, but I was sitting on the bench at Wembley feeling really confident.

Don't ask me why, but it was one of those games where I just knew we were going to win. It happens from time to time, and I've been involved in quite a few matches over the years where I've had that same feeling and the result has gone the right way.

It did again that day at Wembley and two goals from Richard Walker gave us the lead at half-time. In a way we saved the best until last when we got a third in the final minute of the game.

Understandably, Shrewsbury were throwing everything they could at us, and that included pushing their keeper Chris MacKenzie up for a corner. We cleared the ball and little Sammy Igoe picked it up and ran the length of the pitch with their keeper and defenders trying to get back.

Sammy must have run 60 or 70 yards before finally rolling a shot into an empty goal, leaving a Shrewsbury defender desperately trying to stop the ball as he slid into the goal netting. We won 3-1 to make it an unforgettable day.

Not only had we been promoted, but in one season as a League Two side we'd been to the Millennium Stadium, Wembley Stadium and reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.

In the process we had made between £1 million and £1.5 million. Nobody in the history of the game in this country has made as much coming out of the bottom division of the English leagues.

Extracted from Lennie: The autobiography of Lennie Lawrence